As mentioned earlier, at the moment I’m going through a metamorphosis.
Here is the plan:
Phase 1 - Radical Realignment
Time frame: 1 year
Goal: Put the energy that I currently use to make money to support my family and the missionary activities more directly into the missionary activities, rather than the current situation of an increasing divergence where I earn money in one sphere, and preach in my spare time.
- Change jobs to a higher paying one to get more operational flexibility (more money or less hours). Date: Immediately.
- Start a one year yoga teacher training course. Date: April 17th.
Outcome: In one year’s time make a living through teaching yoga.
Phase Two
Time frame: 5 years
Goal: Make a living through writing and speaking
Phase Three - “The Million Dollar Plan”
Time frame: 9 years
Goal: Construct a world-class organization infused with the spirit of service, dedicated to producing authentic leaders, and faithfully stewarding an operational budget of $1 million per month.
We overestimate what we can do a year, and underestimate what we can do in ten years.
I have to fix things up quickly this year, so I’m committed to a year of austerity. My son Prahlad will turn five next year, and his schooling will be an issue. I don’t want him to grow up to work in computers, and I don’t want to spend my time teaching him that, so I am going to learn another profession to teach him from a young age, and that profession (that I learn) will be yoga teacher. We’ll see where it goes from there. The world does not need more computer engineers. My energy expended in that area is not the best use of my time. I have another contribution to make.
Prahlad is a ksatriya, according to his astrology, so I need to spend a lot of time with him to assist in the formation of his values in his childhood. Socialization by remote control is not a good situation for a child like that. He will be very forceful, very powerful, and very active. Telling him to slow down, to “stop” doing something, etc. will not work. The only way to guide him is to go alongside him, and then to push him forward, telling him to be generous, to be merciful, to be helpful, and to fight for what is right. I need to spend time with him for that.
Only do what only you can do.
You are most valuable to the organization where you add the most value.
I’ve demonstrated for a number of years that it is possible to work a 40 hour a week job and preach, if that’s your thing. Now it’s time for something else. Becoming a yoga teacher will give me more control over my time and enable me to spend more time with Prahlad. It will also enable me to converge my energy into a more focused point. I can channel more of my time and energy into the team. Atma Yoga is the five year project. The first two years will be coiling the spring.
There is no contingency plan. I will meet with victory or destruction, but I will never know defeat. Only losers accept defeat as an option. 
A little unsolicited advice. If Prahlad has that much spirit, he needs to get into a circumstance where he has some discipline given him by a guru type figure other than his parents.
Srila Prabhupada authorized playing soccer (football) in the gurukulas. Sports have the guru figure in the form of a coach and the discipline in the form of the practice of techniques and conditioning it takes to play. It is a good way to introduce these things in a way he will enjoy them. Lot of benefits I won’t get into here and I have a real bias towards soccer, but am open to other sports if it works for the kid. Great way to burn off competitive nature and excess energy.
Don’t force a kid into playing, and avoid holding up others as some sort of role model - key thing is to get the kid to enjoy himself and use the model of his own individual potential as the model.
Even for unathletic kids, if used with a little compassion, it can be good experience. Better than even the athletic kids, IMHO, as what comes naturally to them, the lesser-gifted kids can learn. Good training for kirtan.
And kirtan is great cross training for soccer
Even forgetting the wild dancing that seems to be in fashion now, a slow meditative dance thru the entire arotik using the Chaitanya step SP taught us is actuall very challenging to do.
Keep the hands above the head for entire arotik, never bringing them down to rest. Most devotees can’t do it. Slowly dance the entire arotik keeping your heels from touching the floor, all your weight balanced on your toes, actually crossing one foot in front of the other, like most representations of Lord Chaitanya show him to be doing. Not bringing one next to the other, actually cross, even slightly. Most devotees can’t do it.
Later add speed and variations. Hint - one thing that helped me was to meditate that I was dancing for Krsna’s pleasure, as part of a show arranged for His pleasure by Radharani. I would visualize She was holding my hands up with soft ropes like a puppet. But I digress.
Thanks for your advice prabhu, which is never unsolicited. I don’t know whether it’s because he was born in South America, but Prahlad is crazy about soccer. I think team sports will be good for him.
I might have done better in sports were it not for the fact that I had undiagnosed short-sightedness until I was 11. Before then my parents encouraged me to play rugby league, and I suffered intensely. I took refuge in books, which has somewhat altered the course of my life.
I’ll try that kirtan dancing - it sounds like a real challenge.
More of a challenge than you think, really. When I started working towards it, first I would start at the camara, then to the conch. Next at the peacock fan, etc. Slowly adding. Sometimes your arms will cramp a bit, but if you ignore that, you break through.
Key thing is to relax. If you look at most pictures of Lord Chaitanya, you will notice that his wrists are relaxed, hands falling either out or in. Which, to me, means He really knew how to dance. Using muscles to keep the hands straight up can add an unnecessary strain, especially over longer times. It is really a very yogic meditation, whereas the arms down pumping away style is not, IMHO.
As per Pralad; don’t push him to succeed if it is just so you can vicariously enjoy his successes. Motivating is fine, encouraging, helping him get through the tough times, is all good, but I have seen some parents who are really over the top - getting angry at the kid if they thought he was not at peak capacity. Disrespecting the referees, mumbling about the coaching. There is a balance.
As part of warmup, it natural to do stretching. I had a series I would have my kids do, some of which were close to or actual yogic forms. So it is a way to introduce that. Though some studies have shown that kids 10 or 12 or younger, really don’t need to stretch, I think it is good to introduce the habit early. Even a few minutes.
Of course, I am talking way ahead of the curve here. Prahlad is still just a kid and should be allowed to be a kid. Some unorganized play time where he is bored so his imagination is excercised, all that.
Good luck.
soccer is for poofs. Take him to a rugby union club.
apes and gorillas
rugby players
[american] football players
then finally after many lifetimes…
soccer players
[…] My new job, which I will be starting on July 1, is as a technical writer. I will be writing manuals and other user documentation. It’s a good fit for my future direction - it builds on my strength in writing, and it fits with my projected goals. You might recall that I posted three months ago my desire to make my living writing, within five years. Well, that milestone has been reached in three months. Man proposes, Krishna disposes. […]